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Londolozi Live

Membership overview

We invite you to sign up for a Londolozi Live account and join our growing digital family united by our respect for nature and love of the wild. Membership is free and grants access to the Londolozi community, numerous innovative services and benefits across our digital ecosystem:

Quick sign in/sign up

Tired of new passwords? Link your social media account of choice for instant, secure access to Londolozi Live.

Who are you?

Tell the community something about yourself and tweak your Londolozi profile. More of a secretive animal? Keep your profile private.

Track your activity

Earn badges for your profile as you interact with Londolozi and the community as you comment, share and explore our online ecosystem. All your activity with Londolozi is now connected.

Increase your ranking

Earn prowess and rank up as you interact with Londolozi Live and earn a spot on the monthly points leaderboard.

Discuss stories

Chat with other Londolozi Live Explorers and with your favourite Contributors from the Londolozi team about their photos and stories from the wild.

Home of leopards

Tell us which of the Leopards of Londolozi you've encountered during your visit! Their cards will move to your profile page collection.

Rent gear

Need a camera for your stay? Book it online and hassle free. Travel to Londolozi light and easy.

Londolozi Live q

Home away from home!

I am told that the first time I came to Londolozi I was eighteen months old. We were fortunate enough to see a pride of lions and my excitement levels were running so high that I screamed to alert my mom (who was sitting right next to me) at the sight of them. I gave everyone, including the lions an enormous fright at which point the ranger had to rush us out of earshot of the lions and the other guests. This was much to the amusement of Dave Varty who has never let me live it down to this day.

We were very fortunate to see a member of the Majingilane coalition crossing the Sand River at Taylors Crossing on a cool, rainy morningf5,6, 1/100 sec ISO640

Despite my behavior that day I have been back many times since and am proud to say that I have never done the scream thing ever again. In fact that early fear has given way to a deep passion for the wilderness and soul comfort of the African bush.

When I was in high school my family and I would occasionally travel to Londolozi during school holidays to stay with our friends the Vartys. From those trips I remember balmy winter days, lying in the sun alongside a waterhole fringed by giant Albizia trees. The waterhole had huge waterlilly’s floating on its surface. I remember Boyd Varty plucking them out of the brackish water and showing my sister and I how to use the stems of these water plants to make straws for our illegally obtained gin and tonics.

Hippos play fighting at LTA damf8, 1/2000sec, ISO 1000

Around the fire at night miles from where I lived in the hustle of the city I felt myself finally home. In the evening call of a nightjar I heard a sound that seemed to whisper directly to me, this is when I knew I would someday live here.

This was my first attempt at “Star Tracking” the full moon was rising in the distance creating the extra light in the background, I will probably try to avoid capturing an image like this during full moon in my next attempt.f18 ISO 640, shutter release open for 20 minutes

My mom was one of the first receptionists at Londolozi. She remembers her time there with such joy. That even as I sailed along a true city girl I always knew that I would someday end up there… That idea finally manifested itself when I turned 21 and moved myself from the slickness of my Cape Town varsity days to the middle of the Lowveld. Here is where my love affair with the African bush and its people came to life.

Beautiful clouds contrasting the blue skyf13, 1/500 sec ISO 320

I have had the rare privilege of working in a little peace of heaven and meeting some of life’s greatest people. I have always believed that you never truly know your life’s purpose until you have spent time in the African bushveld. Being immersed in these wild places has meant that I form part of a small group of very blessed people in this world.

A crocodile awaiting easy preyf5,6, 1/1250 sec ISO 400

My Londolozi journey has taken me through the camps as a camp manager and now onto sales where my sole purpose is to entice people to experience this place that so many of us call home. Despite traveling the world to achieve this there is no other place I look forward to coming back to more than Londolozi.

Ximpalapala youngster descending a fallen treef14, 1/640 sec ISO 1250

Over the years I have developed a passion for photography and I hope to be able to share the way I see the African bush to you with the help of my trusty camera. Albeit it wont be as regular as some of the other posts I do hope you will enjoy looking at these pictures as much as I enjoy taking them.

This dragonfly was perched on a branch in the late morning light.f4, 1/3200 sec ISO 250

A Woodland Kingfisher with an early morning glint in its eyef5,6, 1/400 sec ISO 1000

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About the Author

Jacqui Marais

Head of Sales

Jacqui joined the Londolozi team in December 2007 as a camp manager, a role which she more than ably filled for the next 3 years, before departing for Johannesburg in 2010. Little did she know that over a decade after joining the organization, ...

27 Comments

on Home away from home!

Absolutely gorgeous photos (I especially love the Kingfisher!) and well written! We hope to revisit Londolozi in the near future; your prose make it very difficult to wait! Looking forward to future posts!

Oh Jacqui that is beautifully written & the pictures are outstanding! Thank you for sharing these and I wish you many happy years in the wonderful bushveld that I also love so passionately! Your star-tracking pic is stunning, full moon or not, so I am now looking forward to the one when there is no moon?? Regards

Jacqui, thank you for sharing your little piece of paradise. I am sure that after I visit SA, I will leave a piece of my soul there when I return to my home. I have dreamt of going to Africa since I was old enough to read and look at pictures in our National Geographic magazine. I would read them until they fell apart. I believe I will feel I am home when I touch the soil in the bushveld. How fortunate you are to be a part of that small number who call it home.

MJ you will most definitely leave a piece of your soul here in Africa… Looking forward to hearing your stories of your trip! I remember those National Geographic Magazines and i too used to read them for hours… Thank you for following our blog we hope to entice people to our paradise and share in the everyday joys!

We were with you on that first 18 month old game drive Jax and it will forever be ingrained in our memories. Happily, like you, the Londolozi connection remains strong and true. A beautifully written piece. Your pics are stunning. Love Karin.

Having finally experienced Londolozi just a couple of weeks ago, I can truly relate to your beautifully written story. It was also really great to have met you and your team in the office and then to have worked with you during our meetings at Indaba. I will promote and market Londolozi to the Ozzies and the Kiwis with renewed passion. Your photography is world class!! Cheers, Herbie

Jackie as Karin has said we were there that day and lovely as your description of events is, I have to say that you flatter your behavior dramatically – but you were very small! You also have omitted to note that you were not on a Londos vehicle but rather on one of a near neighbour in their very formative first few months. (They enjoyed reciprocal driving rights at the time) There were 13 of us on the vehicle at the time – mostly because your Mum was desperate to show your beloved nanny a lion and lets just say that one thing lead to another. For me the best part of the event was to see the expression on the faces of the genuine Londos guests, not only when you let out that ear splitting scream but when Roger, the ranger on the day, reversed at pace into a lone Knob-thorn in his haste to remove his caterwauling guests from the scene. Fortunately, as you mentioned the lions had booked out, as this latter event saw most of the 13 passengers get off the vehicle. I have retold this story so often that I can remember each moment to this day. Lots of love Ian

Ian you have blown my cover!!! I had to flatter my reaction that day somehow, however i think your rendition of the actual events was very accurate indeed…Thank you for setting the record straight!! I am pleased to hear that my behaviour that day has provided some great dinner time stories, trust me Dave has also dined out on it a few times at my expense… See you both soon hopefully! Jax

Badges

Badges are awarded for achieving various things and come with a bunch of points in tow. Here's an example badge:

We've had the pleasure of hosting you here at Londolozi and together we've experienced the magic of the wild and now you're part of the family. You've let us know about your past visits while editing your Profile.

Londolozi Guest

Awarded for visiting Londolozi.

1000

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Each badge has a basic version, such as the Londolozi Guest badge above, and then a specialist version:

Londolozi Lifer

Awarded for visiting Londolozi three times.

2000

prowess earned

for earning the Londolozi Lifer badge

To see all the badges on offer and find out how to grab them, visit the Badge Showcase or click on any badge you happen to find out there in the wild.

Senior Digital Ranger

Digital Tracker

Master Tracker

Guest

We've had the pleasure of hosting you here at Londolozi and together we've experienced the magic of the wild and now you're part of the family. You've let us know about your past visits while editing your Profile.

You've earned the badge:

Londolozi Guest

Awarded for visiting Londolozi.

1000

prowess earned

for earning the Londolozi Guest badge

You're a specialist in this field and have earned the badge:

Londolozi Lifer

Leopard

On a trip to Londolozi you've been lucky enough to spot a leopard of Londolozi. You've encountered the leopard's profile card on the Blog and pressed the 'Spotted this Leopard?' button to record your sighting.

Lion Fanatic

Photographer

You've got an eye for the wilderness and have had your photographic journal from your time at Londolozi published on the Blog for others to enjoy. You found out how to submit your story by emailing us.

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Awarded for submitting a photo story.

700

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You're a specialist in this field and have earned the badge:

Master Photographer

Storyteller

You've got the gift of the storyteller and have had a tale of your time at Londolozi published on the Blog for others to marvel at around the camp fire. You found out how to submit your story by emailing us.

Art Specialist

Good Work Foundation

You recongise the rare privilege it is to be able to experience the untamed beauty of the natural world, and have found an opportunity to give back through The Good Work Foundation, for the sake of others, your children and the wild. You've let us know about your donations while editing your Profile.

Londolozi Live

Membership Overview

Londolozi Live

Membership overview

We invite you to sign up for a Londolozi Live account and join our growing digital family united by our respect for nature and love of the wild. Membership is free and grants access to the Londolozi community, numerous innovative services and benefits across our digital ecosystem:

Quick sign in/sign up

Tired of new passwords? Link your social media account of choice for instant, secure access to Londolozi Live.

Who are you?

Tell the community something about yourself and tweak your Londolozi profile. More of a secretive animal? Keep your profile private.

Track your activity

Earn badges for your profile as you interact with Londolozi and the community as you comment, share and explore our online ecosystem. All your activity with Londolozi is now connected.

Increase your ranking

Earn prowess and rank up as you interact with Londolozi Live and earn a spot on the monthly points leaderboard.

Discuss stories

Chat with other Londolozi Live Explorers and with your favourite Contributors from the Londolozi team about their photos and stories from the wild.

Home of leopards

Tell us which of the Leopards of Londolozi you've encountered during your visit! Their cards will move to your profile page collection.

Rent gear

Need a camera for your stay? Book it online and hassle free. Travel to Londolozi light and easy.

sightings by Members

The Leopards of Londolozi

Since 1979 Londolozi has had a love affair with leopards. Over the last four decades, this dynasty has been chronicled by the many guides and trackers, past and present, who have worked at Londolozi.

You can visit the Mashaba 4:3 Female's dedicated profile page to access a rich trove of information about this leopard, including family tree, unique markings, territory maps, timelines and a host of stunning images and videos.